Hair curler and waver



April 13 1926.

E.. A. GESSNER HAIR CURLER AND WAVER Filgd June 9, 1925 Patented Apr. 13, 1926i.

UNITED STATES` EDWARD A. GESSNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAIR CURLER AND WAVER.

Application lediJune 9, 1925. Serial No. 35,850.

T0 all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD A; GnssNnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of'Philadelphia `and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Hair Curler and Waver, of which the following is a specification.

My invention -relates to a novel construction of a hair curler and waver, wherein the number of parts is reduced to a minimum and wherein a novel, durable and effective device is provided, which can be effectively used for either 'long hair or bobbed hair.

My novel device comprises a plurality of arms of different lengths, pivotally connected, which .are curved or bowed and which are preferably formed from metal, said arms being readily stamped, pressed or otherwise formed by automatic machinery, the shorter arm or member being provided with a hair receiving slot, which extends inwardly from its outervend to nearly one half its length, while the other or longer arm is provided with a longitudinally movable sliding catch, which engages the ends of the shorter member after the tress or strand of hair has been wound thereon. l

By the provision of the elongated hair receiving slot in the shorter arm or member, which extends to about the center thereof, it is possible, by inserting the end of the tress into said slot, to wind bobbed hair about said member, with greater facility and ease, since the slot more readily engages the hair and enables the hair to be wound about the -said slotted arm with considerableltension, thus permitting the production ofv a perfect curl.

By my novelconstruction there'is an inward tension imparted to both long and bobbed hair during the curling or waving operation, whereby a perfect curlingor waving laction may be obtained.

In hair curling devices made heretofore, various attemptshave been made to provide a hairreceiving, grasping or retaining device in one member thereof for engaging the end of the tress and also to act as a core upon which to windthe hair. In each of these prior art devices, however, the hair grasping 'device was composed of a pair of resilient clamping or wedging members, the members of saiddevieebeing normally spread apart by the resiliency of the material. vIn the use of these prior art devices it was therefore necessary to place the ends of the hair between the separate resilient clamping members of the grasping device and to press said two resilient members together against the resiliency of the material, and to hold the same in such closed position throughout the winding operation. This hasv always been a diflicult operation requiring considerable skill. Furthermore in these prior art devices the curl, after being wound upon such spring member, as a core, was naturally disturbed and broken up when the curler was withdrawn and removed from the curl, because as soon as the spring members were released they opened up, thereby spreading open the curl wound about such spring member. Y

Hair curling devices of this type have been made heretofore, having one arm provided with a relatively small auxiliary limb stamped or pressed out of the arm, thus leaving an opening within said arm. The hair was then inserted between the small auxiliary limb and said arm and wedged therebetween, in an effort to grasp the ends of the hair iirmly. This form of hair curler, however, was extremely diflicult to withdraw and remove from the curl, due t0 such wedging action, which held the hair more firmly as the same was wound about the arm. There was, furthermore, a tendency to shear off the `hair when it wasl thus wedged tightly between the auxiliary limb and the arm, thus making the use, of such construction very objectionable.

By my novel construction in providing a hair receiving slot, extending long1tud1nal ly of one of the arms of the hair curler,

which serves as a core, it is possible to engage the "hair and to wind the same about the member having the slot, more readily and withgreater ease than has been possible heretofore since the twol branches of the bifurcated 0r slotted arm need not be pressed together, since, there is no resiliency ytending to separate them. Furthermore in removing and withdrawing the bifurcated core member from the finished curl, the curl will not be disturbed, because the branches thereof retain their parallel relation at all times, not being separated or opened when released.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are .at presfeo eut preferred by me, since they have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be under-- stood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged andorganized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and describes Referring to the drawings Figure l, represents a plan view of a ncvelhair curler and Waver, embodying my invention, the arms or members being open.

Figure 2, represents a longitudinal section on line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3, represents a longitudinal sectional view of the curler and waver in closed and locked position.

Figure l, represents a transverse section, on line of Figure 3.

Figure 5, represents a side elevation of the curler showing the position of the arms cr members prior to winding the hair there Figure G, represents a plan view of the longer inemberor arm.

Figure 7, represents a perspective view of a catch employed in detached position.

Referring to the drawings, in whichlilre reference characters indicate like parts, l designates my novel construction of hair curler and waver, the same comprising the longer arm or member 2 and the shorter arm or member 3, said members being hinged together or otherwise connected in any suitable manner at the point 4l. The members and 3 are initially bowed or curved as will be understood from Figures 2 and 5, so that when they are assembled preparatory to the curling or waving operation they will diverge as seen in Figure 5, and the shorter member 3 is bifurcated or provided with an elongated, and open ended hair receiving slot 5, whose outer terminal walls 6 flare or diverge outwardly, said hair receiving slot 5 extending to about the middle of the member 3.

The outer end ofthe longer member 2 is provided with a closet` slot 7 and a terminal slot 8. Within the slot 7 slides the catch 9, which is composed of the member or head 30 doubled upon itself and provided with the flanges or feet ll and 12, the latter being provided with the upwardly deflected terminal 13, which projects through the slot 9. The catch 9 has the shanlr 14, which projects through and rides in the slot 7, and the head l0 being of about the saine width as the arm 2, prevents the catch from becoming disengaged therefrom. The bottoni walls or shoulders l5 of the head 9, clamp the ends of the bifurcated or slotted member 3 against the member 2, as will be understood. from Figure 3.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the arms 2 and 3 can be readily stamped out of sheet metal, or if desired, they can be made of any other suitable material. When the device is to be used, the arns 2 and 3 are turned into the position seen in Figure 5, and the strand or tress of hair as indicated at 16, Figure 5, is inserted into the hair receiving slot 5 and wound upon the side or branch members 2O and 2l thereof. 'lhe free ends of the arms 2 and 3 are then brought together and the catch 9 is slid into the position seen in Figure 3, thereby retaining the arms and the strand of hair clamped therebetween under tension. After the parts have been retained in the. position shown in Figure 3 for the requisite period, the catch is slid outwardly, and the arms again assume the position seen in Figure whereupon the curled or waved strand or tress of hair can be slid olf the member 3.

The provision of the hair receiving slot i. enables the strand or tress to be wound about the bifurcated arm 3 with eXtreme ease and great facility after the end of the tress has been inserted into the hair receiving slot 5, and enables the same to be readily wound upon the branch members 2O and 21 ot' the bifurcation. The waved hair can further-more be readily removed from the biv furcated core member 3, by reason of the constant parallel relation between the tivo members 20 and 2l thereof, and the absence of any resiliency between said members tending to separate the same. lt will be further apparent that as the catch 9 slides outwardly in unlocking the curler, so that the parts when unlocked move from the position seen in Figure 3, to the position seen in Figure 5, the catch does not interfere with the curl, and the curled hair slides olf the curler, without disarrangement, and in the same curled condition, that it assumed while on the curler. Any suitable hinged connection may be employed at the point Il, but l preferably employ the connection seen, wherein l first blanlr out the arm or member 2 with the pair of transverse slots 17 therein, as seen at the right hand of Figure 6, thereby n.lrming the bar 18, around which the tongue ll) is bent to form an eye, as will be understood from Figures 2, 3 and 5. It will be obvious that my invention can be used with equal effectiveness on both long and bobbed hair.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful hair curler and waver which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in praetice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that such embodiment is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of kand the other of said arms being provided with a catch adapted to-engage and lock the free ends of said arms when closed in the act of curling or waving.

2. In a device oi' the character stated, a pair of arms hingedly connected together, said arms being of different lengths and the shorter arm being provided With a slot open at its outer end and extending thereinto for substantially half its length, the outer terminal walls of said slot flaring outwardly, and a catch slidably mounted upon the outer end of the longer arm and having shoulders adapted to engage and compress the ends of the shorter arm, when Va strand of hair is wound thereon in the act of curling or waving.

3. In a device of` the character stated, a pair of curved arms hingedly connected together, said curved arms being ot different lengths and the shorter curved arm being provided with a slot extending Vthereinto for substantially half its length, the outer terminal walls of said slot flaring outwardly, and a catch slidably mounted upon the outer end of the longer curved arm and having shoulders which engage and compress the ends of the shorter curved arm, when a strand of hair is wound thereon, and said arms are in locked position.

4. In a device of the character stated, a

pair of curved arms hingedly connected together, said curved arms being of different lengths and the shorter curved arm being provided with a slot extending thereinto for substantially half its length, the outer terminal walls of said slot flaring outwardly, and a catch mounted to slide longitudinally upon the outer end of the longer curved arm and having shoulders which engage and compress the ends of the shorter curved arm, after a strand of hair is wound thereon, and said arms are in locked position, said catch having a head of substantially the same width as said arms and being provided with a shank passing through said longer curved arm and with feet engaging said latter arm.

5. In a device of the character stated, a pair of fiat resilient arms, each being of curved contour in longitudinal cross section and having their opposite ends connected, one of said arms having a slot therein open at its free end and extending thereinto for substantially haltr its length, and the other of said arms being provided with a catch adapted to engage and lock the free terminals of said slotted arm under tension, when they are closed in the act of curling or Waving a strand of hair.

6. In a hair curler, al flat, metallic, resilient curved arm, having a slot therein open at its outer end and extending to about the middle of said arm, the inner walls of said slot being parallel for the major portion of their length, a second arm connected to said lirst mentioned arm and locking devices common to the outer ends of said arms for holding the latter in rectilinear position and the hair thereon compressed between said arms under tension.

EDWARD A. GESSNER. 

